The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-21
IVES AND HIS PARTNERS.
Some Fresh Facts About Those Financiers.
How Staynor Got His Start.

Special TO the lnOlanaDolls JOuTue.s
NEW York, Aug. 20.-Ives, Staynor and their
allies likely to occupy public attention for
some time to come And. by the way, there are
a few facts concerning these persons which by
some chance have not appeared in public print
sven if they generally known. Ives, for
Instance. is said to have been clerk for
Harper 81 Brothers, the publishers. He really
began a bell boy for Joseph Harper when he
was about seventeen years old and later became q
clerk in the establishment But he was young
eagle in a dove cote. 1t was too quiet and peace
full. He wanted TO enter that Gehenna of specu-
iative excitement Wall street, and he did when he
was about twenty years old. He was o bright,
promising boy with pleasant ingratiating man
and readily obtained place He was with
a number of firms and the list has never been
correctly stated in print, though of course it is
not an important matter He is said to have been
discharged from one place for dishonesty. AS
he grew older, but while still clerk. he specu-
lated in fifty and one hundred shares and bought
puts and calls. By hook and by crook he got
together enough money to go into the broker
age business himself. and the sequel is that the
former bell-boy fails for the nominal sum of
$15. 0000 OO
On occasion talked to Mr.. Ives at his
Office for some minutes under the impression
that he was one of the clerks. His Office is
on the southwest corner Of Nassau and
Cedar streets, within short distance from
where Aaron Burr lived, and within
stones throw of the site of the ancient
Dutch church, once occupied by the postoffce.
and where now stands of the finest of the
commercial palaces of New York. There by
the way ex-President Arthur had his law Offices.
Nassau street is one of che oldest thoroughfares
in the city; it was laid out 200 years ago, and
was named in honor of William Of Nassau, ora
he is generally known in history, William III os
England. Washington. Alexander Hamiltonf
and Aaron Burr. Talleyrand, Louis Philippe
and Washington Irving, and in later times EN-
wide celebrity have passed slowly along
the ancient thoroughfare, but none in
one remarkable than the
quickly moving young of slight
build, somewhat under medium height, with
curly brown hair smooth, innocent face. hav
ing yet q certain lurking sinister suggestion in
seemingly indicative Of the student at Andover.
The young mar has a courtly address. attractive
manners and cordially greets acquaintances. He
is pointed ont as Henry S. Ives.
Whatever may be said of him he is not snob.
Young of not one-tenth of his conceded
ability act like autocrats and the veriest cads
simply because somebody has left them some
money or because they happen to have rich
fathers Ives had nothing but brains, and adopt
ing Danson's motto of ''Toujours de Fauiace" he
has made a fortune. His character is exactly as
financial world. That is no defense of him; it is
tie worst thing that can be said of him. In
Wall street he is guilty of the objectionable sin
of being caught. The Stock Exchange Endorsed
finance, and it greeted his downfall with cheers
Nothing could more strikingly exemplify the
character of that institution.
Ives lives in Brooklyn in the height of luxury.
He has colored valet to whom ne has been in
the habit of giving carte blanche in the matter
of expenditures for furnishing the house Re-
tlx1f &c anita aTlp har +
$1,000 worth of beautiful decora-
tions including fine bronzes, and got a commits
ion of 10 per cent on the purchases
Then there is George Staynor. The newspa-
pers have said little of his antecedents because
they seem to know very little about him. He
came, is generally known, from New London,
short. squat, bow-legged and waddles like Gen.
Butler. How did he get his first startl I
haven't seen line in print on this subject In
New London, some twenty-five years ago, there
was one of those obscure geniuses who have the
inventive faculty largely developed, but who
know little nothing of business or the ways
OF the world. He invented lathe for printing
the flagree engraving the backs of bank
notes; it had peculiar movement. aud it did
almost nstantansously what might take days to
do by the old method, which, moreover, was not
only slower but much more expensive The
inventor was drowned short time after he had
shown Staynor his invention. Staynor OBJ
tanned possession of ic, aud came to New York.
He went to the Office of the American Bank
Note Company and asked for the president.
He was told that that official was engaged
mo matter if he Is" was Staynor's response
81 wish to see him once. / have something
that wish to tell him."
He was admitted, and showed the president of
the company the in ventlon The president called
the superintendent, who pronounced it valua-
bic thing
We'll" said Staynor, ''I'm here to sell it,
The president asked how much he wanted. and
ne named good round sum In cash and con-
siderable amount in stock.
I'VE don't care to pay so much" said the off,
,ial, anxious to get the invention for little or
nothing
'.Al right" said Staynor. .'If you don't take
It others will" And he started to go.
Hold on!' called the official when Staynor
had reached the door. Hold on Perhaps we
IAN do better Give us until to morrow to think
{ over"
mo. sir" said Staynor. emphatically, s'you
must decide to day.
Then the head of the company begged for an
hour for consideration. 1t given. On
Staynor's return he told that the company
would take the patent but could not pay his
price
"Well," said Staynor. 'I've got a good thing
md know it. Since / have been out have
changed my terms. l will let you have it at the
same amount in cash as l said before, but you
lage got to give me more stock"
They did.
Staynor got his start, became secret airy of the
company and later drfted into finance.
Christopher Meyer, who has been Ives's back
n to some extent. used to be a porter in this
'ity. He owes his fortune to two wealthy ladies
Who established him in the rubber business
Now he is worth $l5 000 000
1t is strange story. An idle lounger in
mall Connecticut town, bell boy in Harpers
md porter in New York mercantile house.
rhe whirligig of time brings them in millions
{ wo drop faint by the wayside. and ore, shrewd
Id Christopher Meyer, is enjoying life at Sara
oca with young and beautiful wife. Staynor
its with bowed head, utterly crushed. Ives
.eeps up brave clipper front. but the mask
rops at times and shows face on which anx-
ety and anger struggle for m astery as he catches
be mutterine of coming storm that m ay sweep
i'm into Sing Sing.
OSCAR WILLoUGHBY RIGGS
To George w. ssNrs [Nessmukl.
Written an has Forest Ranes